Korea Part One: (Almost) All We Ate

A fourteen-hour trans-Pacific flight, into a country coming fresh off a presidential election that elected its first female dictator’s daughter as president. Record low temperatures throughout the trip, snow showers (gift of a white Christmas and New Year’s Day).

All of this, our footsteps, our itinerary, our schedule, can be summed up in thirty-seven dishes. The first part of INL’s four-part Korea series, here are (almost) everything we ate in twelve days. Korean cuisine is much more than barbeque and bibimbap (although we had plenty of that as well). From the best sushi joint in Gangnam, Seoul, to the bustling dine-ins in the Myungdong street market, from the beaches of Busan to the ancient tombs of Kyungju, this slideshow captures the breadth and depth of Korean food. To view the full-size photos, please click on any one of them and view as a slideshow.

Enjoy, and may your mouth water.

“Kalguksoo” with oysters, three different types of clam, shrimp, potatoes, and an inexplicable broth.

“Kimchi jjigae 2.0” with ramen noodles. For breakfast.

“Tangsooyook”, basically a version of sweet and sour pork, but perfectly fried and matched with a tangy sauce and vegetables.

Noodle soup with a clean chicken broth, bamboo shoots, assortment of seafood, and an egg for good measure.

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How to partake of pollack stew. A bit of intestine, a slither of fermented raw clam, on steaming white rice. Spicy, salty, slimy, fishy. Heaven.

“Tangsooyook” from a different joint. Only this time, it’s for breakfast.

“Jjambbong” for breakfast. The broth is deep and buttery, thanks to the generous amounts of fatty pork. Heaps of mussels add an oceanic breeze.

“Donburi” from a food corner at a department store in Seoul.

“Udon” with fish cake, at a freezing rest area on the way to Busan.

Meat in a tube, on the way to Busan. No spicy mustard in sight, so ketchup had to suffice.

Blowfish stew. Boiled with bean sprouts and water parsley, and a few drops of apple vinegar. Add spoonfuls of garlic and red chili peppers. After consuming the contents, the ramen cooked in this broth is uniquely mesmerizing.

Blowfish fillets. The flesh is firm and the skin is delightfully chewy.

“Unyang bulgogi”. You don’t know bulgogi until you’ve tried this. The tender beef has just the right amount of fat and is marinated in a subtle, sweet soy-based sauce. Grilled garlic and potato slices are a great combination.

“Dongrae pajun”, a pancake made of green onions, oyster and other seafood, held together by glutinous rice flour and eggs. An inch thick at the center, this moist deep-dish pizza of sorts is enjoyed with countless traditional side dishes.

“Daegu tang”, an almost mythical dish celebrating the cod in its entirety. This bowl contains cod fillet, half of a cod’s head (with eyeball in tact), and cod intestines (aka “goni”). The broth, boiled for hours on end using cod parts and radish, resembles the sea in depth and purety. A great breakfast (we had it twice).

“Ssambab”, a specialty of the city of Kyungju in Kyungbuk Province. You’re presented with more side dishes you can count or recognize, along with a spread of both fresh and steamed vegetables (and large pieces of kelp). Next, take fresh or steamed vegetable or kelp, wrap any combination of side dish, and eat.

Sashimi at “Sushi Sunsoo”. The “toro” melts on the tongue, its buttery flavor still lingers in my mouth.

Nigiri assortment at “Sushi Sunsoo”. The lightly charred “toro” was memorable, but the “saba” struck my senses. And the “tamago”, made entirely with fish meat, had the texture of a fluffy pound cake.

The only Korean pizza I appreciate. It had a ring of sweet potato puree, which surprisingly matches well with melted cheese.

“Ddukgook” (rice cake soup), Mom’s version, with fresh oysters and seaweed fulvescens, a hair-like variety of kelp. May not have an appetizing visual zeal, but the oysters and seaweed boasts of more depth and creaminess than any other bisque.

Grandma’s dumpling soup. Sublime.

“Hanjungshik”, a twenty-plus course meal, all at once. A balanced layout of red meat, seafood, and various vegetarian dishes, this is an ideal way to immerse oneself into the artistic delicacy, and the varietal breadth, of traditional Korean cooking.

Skirt steak, Korean style (and not for fajitas) on charcoal. This dry-aged cut is juicy and tender, and somewhat unique, given that Koreans are not totally fond of aging their beef (yet), especially when its grilled this way.

“Sooyuk”, an assortment of steamed cuts of beef, including tendon, oxtail, and pressed headcheese.

“Patbingsoo”, shaved ice topped with sweet adzuki beans and condensed milk. Plenty of joints in Northern Virginia serve this, but the softness of the ice (like powdered snow) and the quality of the adzuki beans are no match for this, found at “Miltop” at Hyundai department store.

As a family tradition, we cap off our culinary mayhem with “bulgogi burger” at the Lotteria in Incheon International Airport.

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